It was Benjamin Franklin who penned the phrase “old habits are hard to break” in a 1758 article in the London Chronicle. Who knew?
It’s a phrase that I can most certainly relate to, especially as it pertains to bay scallops. No matter how much I read year after year about the dire predictions for the five-month scallop season, which opened at daybreak on Monday morning in state waters, I still make plans to be on my Rock Water with six iron dredges in tow on opening day. I’ve done this for well over 50 years.
But that scenario sadly did not play out this year. On Saturday morning, I did some pre-season reconnaissance in a number of areas within the great expanse of Shelter Island Sound to get a better sense of where to go on Monday. Let’s just say it did not go very well.
After several hours of towing and laboriously lifting my heavy dredges, I called it quits and returned to my slip in Sag Harbor Cove. My grand total catch was 17 adult scallops. They were returned back to the water, as they were taken out of season. If I had shucked them, they would barely be enough to serve as an appetizer for a table of one. It was that bad.
Even worse was the dearth of juvenile scallops. I probably came across about two dozen. Not good news for the future.
What I saw firsthand on that bright and sunny day was very discouraging, but not surprising. I had heard from several baymen who experienced similar or even worse results over the past few weeks. Few said that that they would go out on Monday. They had better things to do. I can’t blame them.
Needless to say, I went fishing on Monday. There was blackfish for dinner instead of scallops. Not a bad substitute, but my heart was set on some fresh sauteed scallops.
Up in Nantucket, the news was much better when the commercial season opened on Friday. The wholesale price paid to fishermen opened at $12 per pound, down from $18 in 2023. The retail price at local fish markets settled anywhere between $22 and $26, very cheap in my view for one of the most cherished and savored shellfish around, which are identical to those in our local waters.
Last year, Nantucket scallops that ultimately appeared in a few of our local seafood shops here were selling for upward of $75 per pound. Ouch!
But there are some dark clouds that lurk to the northeast of us. Last year, Nantucket baymen harvested just under 9,000 bushels of scallops. That sounds impressive, but the total has not topped 10,000 since the 2017-18 season. Back in the 1980s, it was common to see the harvest go over 100,000 bushels. Not exactly a positive trend.
I took my scallop dredges off Rock Water on Saturday afternoon. Once the nets dry out, I will once again put them in my basement, where they will remain for the next 12 months, until I once again go on the water hoping for better results.
After a most disappointing day for scallops on Saturday, I planned to steer Rock Water to the north side of Big Gull Island to seek out blackfish the next day. But alas, a stiff northerly breeze scuttled our plans. I was now two for two on the bummer meter.
Those who did fish in recent days have done well, though. Montauk still holds a nice supply of striped bass, but the bite has become more tide-dependent of late. The bass are currently on the move south to warmer climes. Get them while they are still in local residence. The strong bite will likely not last much longer.
Those who pursue squid continue to be pleased with their results on the several party boats that are currently sailing at night out of Montauk. Hard-core squid heads are landing upward of 100 pieces per trip.
As for blackfish, the fishing is good as the winds allow. Find an outcrop of rocky bottom and the toothy fish are ready to chew.
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